Life of Stewie
by Cybrawler253
Summary: AU where Stewie sacrifices himself to save Brian in the infamous episode, "Life of Brian." Rated T just in case. Brewie. ON HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1, Sacrifice

"Okay, Brian? I'm just putting this out there, but I'm a baby, and only dicks don't let babies win."

Stewie and Brian had just gotten back from the garbage dump, right after the time machine had been scrapped. Of course, since Stewie was the one who ordered its destruction, he didn't seem too upset about it. But Brian knew his friend, and that he did regret his decision a tiny bit. Trying to lighten the mood, he suggested the two of them play hockey in the street, and take advantage of the fresh air.

"God, look at this day, huh? You know, usually I'd be sitting inside, writing...you'd be working on one of your machines...but, here we are enjoying it."

"Yes, it is a nice change of pace," the infant replied, but pausing as soon as he remembered something. "Oh wait, I've gotta go grab my kneepads. I was using them for...for...this other thing. Anyway, I'll be right back."

Of course, there was no way in hell that Stewie would tell Brian that he stole Lois's bra while she was sleeping, and just replaced it with his kneepads so she wouldn't notice. The dog would keep on begging for Stewie to give it to him for his own sick sexual preferences, when he was going to use it as a disguise and plant bombs inside it.

The screeching noise of a car snapped Stewie out of his thoughts, and he saw that it was headed straight for Brian...who was too busy setting up the hockey nets.

"Brian, look out!"

He didn't even have to think about it, he knew what he had to do. Despite his brain screaming to stay safe and preserve himself, his heart was feeling the exact opposite. And acting on blind impulse, he had chosen the latter. Running as fast as his tiny legs would carry him, he summoned all the strength in his small body and pushed Brian to the side with all his might. The last thing he saw was a look of shock from Brian, as he realized what Stewie had done. The infant gave a sad smile, before he felt a blasting pain on his entire body, and he knew no more.

* * *

"STEWIE!"

It seemed to take an eternity for the car to pass, and by the time it did, Brian was already by his side. Stewie looked awful. Even though his head was protected by his hockey helmet, that didn't mean the rest of his body was protected as well. His entire body was covered with gashes and blood-spattered wounds. Brian would have thought he was already dead, were it not for the spasms of pain that wracked the baby's entire body.

"Lois! Lois, get out here!"

The entire Griffin family ran out of the house, and saw with horror what had happened to the youngest family member.

"Oh my god! Stewie! Stewie, can you hear me?!" She turned to Brian, despair written all over her worried face. "What the hell happened to my baby?"

"Not now, Lois! He needs medical care, I'm gonna call an ambulance right away!"

He ran inside as fast as he could, with a turmoil of thoughts running through his head.

 _He got injured saving me... If he doesn't pull through, I'll never forgive myself!_

Quickly grabbing the nearest phone and dialing 911, Brian explained what had happened, and the woman on the other line said they would send an ambulance over immediately. Rushing back outside, he knelt beside Lois, who was crying, and cradling Stewie's wounded body in her arms.

"How did he even get like this? Brian, tell me!"

He sighed, not bearing to look Lois in the eye. "We...were setting up hockey equipment to start a game, and a car was driving down the road. I wasn't paying attention...but Stewie...he pushed me out of the way at the last second. H-he saved my life."

"M-my baby...he did that?" She couldn't help but smile slightly, despite the situation. "Stewie, I'm so proud of you. You'll get better...we'll get you to the hospital right aw—"

And paused, seeing two hockey kneepads fall out from under her shirt.

* * *

The Griffins waited anxiously at the hospital, with Brian pacing back and forth endlessly in front of the door. Stewie had been rushed to the emergency room about two hours ago, and the canine was nervously awaiting the news of his condition.

 _Please pull through, Stewie. You've surpassed greater odds before, you can get through this._

As soon as the thought was finished, Dr. Hartman carrying a clipboard entered the waiting room. Lois ran up to him, with tears streaming down her face.

"Doctor, how is my baby? Is Stewie gonna be okay?"

The doctor bowed his head solemly, and Brian knew what he was going to say just by seeing that one gesture. Already, his heart felt like it was going to split in two.

"I'm very sorry, Mrs. Griffin. Your son isn't responding to any of the medical care, and if we try anyting else, he'll probably die sooner from the treatment than his injuries. I'd recommend...that you go in and see him off."

Those words pierced through Brian's heart like a bullet from a gun. _Stewie...dying? No...it can't be! It's not possible!_ Yet his mind flashed back to the infant's broken and battered body, and knew that the doctor spoke the truth. Lois was sobbing hysterically, and Peter, who was also shedding tears, embraced his wife in an attempt to comfort her. All of them got up shakely, and walked down the hall to where Stewie's room was.

Opening the door, Brian was met with a sight that utterly ripped his heart into shreds. The baby's blood-stained face was covered by an oxygen mask, and was hooked up to several machines in an effort to sustain his life. His small chest barely moved, and his closed eyes occasionally gave an involuntary twitch of pain. Walking closer to his friend's deathbed, Brian knelt down beside Stewie.

"Stewie...can you hear me? Please say something, a moan, a cry, anything!"

The dog's voice seemed to get through to Stewie, as his eyes stirred and slowly opened. Even his eyes looked weak, as the glaze of death was enveloping them more with each passing second. A look of recognition spread across his face, and a warm smile formed as he realized who it was.

"B...Bri...?" Stewie's voice was barely a whisper, it seemed to hurt him just to speak.

"Yes, Stewie. I-I'm here," Brian replied, struggling to keep his voice steady despite the tears.

"It...it hurts..." he whimpered, as another spasm of pain wracked his body.

"I know it does, Stewie," his voice shook with sadness, "Everything will be okay, it'll go away soon..."

"I...know...what it means..." He stared at the ceiling, not bearing to look at Brian. "I'm not...gonna make it...aren't I?"

Brian said nothing, all he could do was slowly nod his head. He couldn't bear to let those awful words of affirmation pass his lips. Stewie instantly knew what he was going to say, but he wasn't afraid. A serene and peaceful feeling was enveloping his body, the pain was slowly starting to go away. He looked back at his canine companion, wanting to reassure him that everything would be okay.

"Can you...come closer? P...please?"

Brian rested his head right beside his friend, wanting to be as close as possible during Stewie's last moments. Using all the strength he had, Stewie moved his hand over towards the crying canine and began to stroke his ear. The baby's fingers ran lightly up and down, and a calming sensation washed over Brian as he did this. The minutes ticked by, and the stroking motion slowed down with each passing one.

"L...love...you..." The quiet murmur from Stewie was almost inaudible. Brian watched helplessly as he saw his friend's chest rise and fall for the last time...

And was met with the heart-wrenching beep of the life-support system.

* * *

Brian dragged his feet up the stairs, grief weighing down his every step. He just couldn't believe it. How was it even possible? Stewie had cheated death before on multiple occasions, so how was it that he was suddenly...gone? What made it worse was the fact that he died saving _him._ Brian knew that if he had reacted faster, if he hadn't brought home the hockey set, hell, even if he allowed the time machine to be destroyed in the first place, none of this wouldn't have happened. Of course, if Stewie hadn't ordered its destruction, Brian could go back in time and prevent his death. But now...now there was only one way he could ever see Stewie again.

The grief-driven canine had made a stop by the bank after Stewie's death, and recovered something from his safety deposit box. His eyes rested on his escape, the very gun that he planned to use if life ever became too much for him.

" _Brian...how come you have a gun?"_

" _I keep it...in case...I ever want to commit suicide, okay?"_

Brian's mind flashed back to when he and Stewie were trapped in the bank vault, and the touchy subject was brought up.

" _Well, I just don't know what to say! Wanting to kill yourself... Well, I think that's pretty selfish of you!"_

Tears streaming down his face, he moved his hands to pick up the gun.

" _You give_ my _life purpose. And maybe...maybe that's enough."_

 _Your life...you were the only thing keeping me going. If I no longer have a purpose, then I should just..._

His hands shaking madly, Brian lifted the gun up to his head, finger on the trigger.

 _I'm coming, Stewie. I can't bear to spend the rest of my life without you._

Suddenly, the door opened, and a hooded figure with skeleton hands stepped into the room. Brian stopped, and instantly recognized the being."Death? You...you're here for me?"

"Well, my schedule said that you were gonna off yourself around 8:30, but I ended up arriving a little bit late. Also, there was an errand I had to do that involved coming here. But that's beside the point. Brian, think about what you're doing."

"Oh, so stopping suicides is something you do, but saving children who barely even got to live their lives is too much for you? He was one, fucking ONE! I swear to god, if you weren't already dead, I'd freaking kill—"

"Look, just calm the hell down, okay? I mean, don't you want to say hi to your friend first?"

Brian stopped in mid-sentence as he saw a bright light appear right beside Death. After adjusting to the light's radiance, the dog's eyes widened after making out who it was.

"St-Stewie?! You...it's really you?"

He flinched in surprise as what appeared to be Stewie attempted to slap him across the face, but his hand passed straight through. The spirit briefly stopped in surprise, before glaring up at Brian.

"What the hell, man? What the actual HELL? How can you even _think_ about ending it after all that's happened? Killing Lois, world domination, I gave all of that up for YOU!" Stewie stopped, his eyes moistening from the emotional territory he was now entering. "I died for you, Brian... If you ended it here...wouldn't my death had been for nothing?"

"But...I can't do this. A life without you...I can't bear the thought of that!"

"Yes you can! You're strong, Brian, you'll get along fine without me. Besides, Lois and the fat man need you in their lives, so you can't leave them yet."

Brian looked crestfallen. "But...how can I? How can I continue without knowing you'll be there beside me? You'd always been there for me, to comfort me when I was feeling down, to lift my spirits when I needed it... You're the whole world to me, Stewie! I...I love you!"

Cocking his head to the side, the infant's eyes widened in surprise. "What the deuce did you just say? Am I hearing you right?"

Brian stepped closer to Stewie, reaching out his hand to the glowing spirit. "I love you, Stewie. I guess, I always have..."

"I love you too, Brian. That's why...I did what I did. With the time machine destroyed, and no way to bring you back if you had died, I had to do whatever I could to keep you alive. Yes, I am aware of the short lifespan of your species, but at least take advantage of the six or so more years that I've given you."

"But...what about you? You had your whole life ahead of you, don't you feel that it ended far too soon?"

Stewie sighed, and looked off into the distance. "It's true, I only got to live for about two years. There were many things that I wanted to do..." His eyes started to tear up, but he shook his head and looked back at Brian, a contented look in his eyes. "I may not have lived a long life, Brian. But, I can say without doubt that I had a full one. You...were the one who made my life so complete."

Brian smiled warmly, crying out of joy rather than sadness. He stretched his arms out, allowing for the baby's ghost to get as close to a hug as was possible, given his current state. It felt cold, like the air's temperature was significantly lower in the area Stewie's spirit occupied. But Brian didn't care, it was a kind of pain he didn't mind.

"Are you gonna be okay, kid?"

Stewie shrugged. "Who knows? I mean, I've been a bad boy, who knows how many people I ended up murdering in cold blood? Obviously that's not going to go down well at all. But I've been on my best behavior these past few months, and of course, giving my life up for you definitely tips the scales in my favor."

Death walked forward, placing his hand on the baby's shoulder. "Don't worry, Brian. I'll make sure this kid won't go to hell anytime soon."

"Thanks, Death," Brian said appreciatively, then remembering what he said earlier, "By the way, what was that errand you mentioned before?"

"Oh, that. You see, Stewie asked me if I could get Rupert for him, which he needs my help for, being a ghost and all." Death walked into the other room, in order to fulfill the baby's request. Reaching over to Stewie's crib, he grasped the bear, which instantly became the transparent and bright hue that Stewie now was. The demon walked back into Peter and Lois's room and handed the toy to Stewie, who embraced Rupert in a tight hug.

"It's okay, Brian. Until you've lived your life in full, I'll have Rupert to keep me company. But until then, I promise I'll stop by every now and again."

He reached his paw up to touch Stewie's hand, wanting one bit of contact before he leaves. Already, the baby's image was flickering and starting to fade, and was being dragged farther and farther away from Brian by the second. Wiping his eyes dry, Brian waved goodbye to Stewie, who disappeared in a flash of blue light along with Death. The next moment, they were gone.

 _I_ _'_ _ll be here, Stewie. Once my time comes naturally, the two of us will be reunited..._

His heart didn't feel whole again, Brian was sure it never would until he finally joined with Stewie for good, but the pain of losing him had definitely been lessened. Getting to say goodbye to him in person really helped, and Brian certainly felt a lot better.

He gave another glance to the gun, remembering why it was there in the first place. Brian instantly felt foolish, Stewie was right, how could he think of throwing his life away after what Stewie did to keep him alive? _It would be an insult to his memory,_ he thought, picking up the gun, opening the window and throwing it as hard as he could out of said window. He didn't care that he was technically littering, or the fact that he didn't properly dispose of it. As of now, all he wanted to do was get the wretched thing away from him as soon as possible.

The canine slowly walked over to Stewie's room, utterly burnt out and overwhelmed from the day's events. Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep. Instantly, the moment he walked in, Stewie's scent washed over him, his senses taking in the familiarity. The sensory memory caused another pang of loss to go through his heart, but it was accompanied by a feeling of peace and serenity to take over.

Brian dragged his tired legs over to Stewie's crib and climbed inside, the soft feel of the bed relaxing his mind and he could feel his restless thoughts shutting down. The relaxing sensation of sleep was enveloping his body, and the scent of Stewie that still lingered in his former bed was helping to soothe him. The last thing Brian thought before finally descending into dreams was that he was going to sleep here from now on. The sensory memory of his friend was already starting to help him cope with that loss, and it was here in this room, after all, that so many wonderful times and memorable experiences the two friends had.

* * *

 **Well, this was my first oneshot. The reason why I didn't bring Stewie back was I felt that it would lessen the impact of his death, despite how hard it was for me to do so. T-T Anyways, I really hope you liked it, and I'll try to do more oneshots in the future whenever an idea happens to come to me. R &Rs are always appreciated, as I'd like to see how you felt about this one.**

 **Actually, scratch that. I've gotten a couple of requests to make another chapter, so...I guess I'll make another chapter! I've got an idea on how I want to go about doing this, so I'm planning on updating sometime this December.**


	2. Chapter 2, Aftermath

He still missed Stewie, however. It had been a full month since his death, and the despair was still as intense as it was that day. Yes, the occasional visits from him helped to ward off his depression, but that still didn't make the grief go away. Also, the fact that Brian had _feelings_ for him, and yet he had never confessed them to Stewie during life, made the canine feel even more awful.

Still half asleep, the disoriented Brian made his way down the stairs into the kitchen. Lois was there too, and she wasn't faring any better than Brian was. The dark circles under her eyes were a clear indication that she didn't sleep at all that night, which was a recurring theme in the past few days.

"Morning, Lois," he said, grabbing his daily cup of coffee and taking a seat beside his friend, "still no luck?"

She shook her head. "Everyone else seemed to...get over it pretty quickly, but I can't stop thinkin' about him."

"I dunno, Chris was reeling for a while, only a couple days ago did he even show any signs of his old self."

"Chris? Really?" She never remembered the boys even spending much time together.

"It kinda makes sense. Remember that time he and Stewie got lost in the woods for three days? Those two seemed a bit closer after their return."

Lois nodded, recalling those events. She had almost lost both of them that day...she had never expected that it would happen for real, let alone so soon afterwards.

"I wonder if...he's in a better place now."

"I'm sure he's fine," he replied, trying to make Lois feel better despite him feeling just as miserable. "He knew what he was doing, he was smarter than you think."

"Yeah, I remember you telling me that he pushed you out of danger to save your life... Just how smart _was_ he?"

Brian took her up to Stewie's room, showing her all the various inventions the infant had made. The weather control device, the Peter-bot, even the ship that led to his microscopic encounter with Bertram inside of Peter's testicles. Lois didn't believe it at first, that her baby really was a genius, but after Brian showed the interior of her son's secret weapon closet, she knew that it was for real.

"Oh my god...this is amazing! He really made all of these?"

Brian nodded, not having the heart to tell Lois that the whole reason behind most of their creations was for Stewie to kill her. But then again, a lot of his greatest adventures with him were because of these inventions, and they brought back a lot more good memories than bad.

"Can't believe it, it's as if I didn't even know my own child..." She turned to Brian, who was lost in the sudden wave of nostalgia swept over him. "Sounds like you knew him a lot more than I did."

"I...I suppose so. I was the only member of the family he bothered to talk to, not to mention spend more time with..."

"Wait, he could TALK?!" Lois was dumbfounded, he was _one_ , there was no way in hell that he could have possibly... _Then again, if he really was as smart as Brian says he was..._

"Please...tell me," she begged, a pleading look in her eyes, "Tell me...what he was like. What you two talked about, all the things about him that I didn't even know. Please...tell me everything."

Brian sighed, there was no way of getting around this, and Lois clearly deserved to know. He sat down next to her and began to recount the many adventures he and Stewie had together...

* * *

Being a ghost sucked. At least, it did in Stewie's case. The whole "judgement of the soul" thing happened, and as Death promised, he didn't go to hell. However, that didn't make him feel any better about his current situation. He missed Brian, and Death only allowed Stewie to visit him about once every couple weeks. Whatever the case maybe, it still didn't change the fact that it didn't get any better after death. All he could really do was float around obscurity and occasionally have a small conversation with Rupert.

"God, if it weren't for you, Rupert, I'd probably have gone insane! Then again...how can a ghost even go insane? Would it be even possible? Or would you have to be insane in life in order for it to happen?"

The stuffed bear didn't say anything. He never could, but if he had the ability to communicate, Stewie imagined that he would say that he didn't know. He shrugged, trying to find a new topic of conversation to pass the time.

"You know, I just realized that it's almost Christmastime!" His face lit up with joy, but was immediately downcast upon recalling what had happened a month ago. "Those bastards...thinking they can celebrate Christmas without _me_! How can they be so happy?! Aside from Lois and Brian, they don't even seem to care that I'm gone!"

Yes, Christmas was indeed coming, and he would never be able to sit under the tree, brimming with excitement, tearing open presents... All he could do was silently watch his former family decorating the Christmas tree, hanging up stockings, shopping for presents, without him.

He remembered last year his wish for plutonium had been granted, and ever since then, Stewie had been anxiously looking forward to the 25th of December. So much so, that he even traveled forward in time to buy a toy that didn't even come out yet in his own time period.

"Wait a minute...THAT'S IT! If I can go and tell Brian when and where I'm about to time travel, we can warn my past self of the events to come! I can still be saved!"

He hastily racked his brain for the exact date that he decided to time travel, aware that he couldn't afford to get the date wrong. He _thought_ it was December 21st that the new toy came out...but he needed to be sure. Then again, he could just have Brian look up the name of the toy on his laptop, it would say the date of its release.

Knowing that there was no time to lose, he immediately took off for Death's house. The place was oddly normal-looking, for contrary to popular belief, he didn't live in an ominous demon lair like Stewie previously thought. Much like the house, Death seemed like a pretty normal guy once you got to know him.

He burst through the front door, interrupting the reaper's very rare moments of down time.

"Kid, what did I tell you before about coming in here without permission?" Although his face was obscured by his hood, Death was obviously very irritated. "I already told you the last 50 times, you can't come and visit him yet. You already stopped by there last week, and I have to at least have some sort of limit on the amount of times you get to go there! If anybody else heard I'd made a special deal with you, then..."

"I know, I know. Then they'd want to go down too, the world would be overrun by ghosts, and you'd end up losing your job," Stewie said, rolling his eyes. He'd heard the whole shtick told to him before. "But for God's sake, this is the one time where I'll ever ask you for this sort of favor! I'll give up my next couple of visits, I'll sell you my soul, hell, I'll even CLEAN YOUR GODDAMN BATHROOM if you let me just go down there for the next few days!"

"Next few _days_? Stewie, you're really pushing it here. What's so important that you need to spend the next week or so down on Earth, anyway?"

He sighed, knowing that Death wasn't going to buy any other excuse than the truth. "I...I've found a way to prevent it. My death, I mean. I don't have much time, for if I lose this chance, then I'll be stuck here for eternity. You see, I used to have a time machine..."

"Ah, I've detected that someone was interfering with the space-time continuum multiple times. So that was you, huh?"

He nodded, there was no point in lying about it. "I know when the last time I traveled into the future will occur, and it happens right around Christmas. But I don't remember the exact date I traveled to! Please...you've got to let me stay there for about a week or so...just so I can warn my past self of what's to come!"

Death was silent. He didn't know what to do. _After all, why should this kid get a second chance at life? There have been countless infants who died at the exact same age, it's not like his case is anything special..._

"Oh, and Death?"

"Yeah?"

"I know about that evil overlord mansion you've always wanted. I think I can persuade the owners to give it to you."

A little bribing was all he needed. Death was tired of living in the same old "normal" house, and he wanted something with a little more glamour to it.

"All right, I'll let you go down there to change your fate. But you need need to fullfill your end of the deal first."

Stewie groaned. He was relying on Death's memory being erased upon changing history, so he wouldn't have even remembered _making_ the promise. _It would be a bit of a delay, but I suppose I have enough time left..._

* * *

The mansion itself didn't serve much purpose, only to serve as a place of residence to souls remaining in a state of limbo. The atmosphere was rather quiet, as the spirits really didn't interact with each other that much. Everything was rather peaceful, until...

"Get the fuck outta here!"

The souls residing in the mansion snapped upright, surprised at the sight of an intruder upon the premesis.

"Lord Death himself demands that he take up ownership of this mansion! Now get your asses outta here before he reaps all your damn souls!" Stewie flashed the scythe he borrowed from Death for emphasis.

They didn't need to be told twice. The spirits all fled in fear, for however bad limbo was, they really _really_ didn't want to go to hell.

* * *

"Okay, I got you your damn mansion," Stewie said, incredibly irritated by the time wasted. "Can you send me down to Earth now?"

"Sure thing, kid," the reaper replied, raising his arms and creating a portal leading towards the world of living. "I'll let you down there for a week. A _week_ only, and if you don't prevent your death during that time, you'll come straight back up here. Understood?"

Stewie nodded, knowing that if the correct day didn't pass by the time his week was up, Brian would at least warn his past self in his absence. He took a deep breath, approached the portal, and jumped in.

* * *

 **Holy crap, you guys. I'm super sorry for the brief hiatus, really, I am. I had so much going on: Christmas, tests, and a week-long vacation. But yeah, I really didn't expect this many people to like this one, and I'm really happy for your continued support! This is by far my most-liked story, and I'm so touched by all the kind feedback I've been given! Part 3 is coming out soon, and then it'll be all set! Also, thanks to LDEJRuff their PMs that motivated me to get this out today, along with their own alternate version of this fic! Again, I apologize for the unexpected delay, I had a bit of trouble coming up with ideas on where I wanted the story to go. Thank you so much for all the support!**


	3. Chapter 3, Revelation

Brian was out of breath. His throat stung due to all the talking he did; all the recap and synopsis of his and Stewie's adventures. He wasn't sure when the last time he'd talked so much before, but he certainly wasn't used to it.

"That's amazing..." Lois was near speechless, astounded by what Brian had recounted. "I never knew how special he was..."

He nodded sadly, remembering how close he held Stewie to his heart. "Yeah...he was a special guy, all right..."

"I...I never knew..." Lois's eyes watered, on the verge of tears. "God, I must be a shitty parent...I never even knew him..."

"Lois..." Brian embraced her in a tight hug, trying to comfort her as much as he could. "You did the best any parent could do. Stop blaming yourself for what happened. If anything..." he hesitated, scared to finish his thought, "...I'm the one to blame. I wasn't paying attention...I didn't see the car...I'm the reason why he's gone..."

Lois didn't say anything, but Brian knew that she was thinking the same thing. And knowing that hurt much more than if she had vocally admitted agreeing with him. The guilt clutched at his heart, and was overwhelmed with the bitter knowledge that he'd tried so hard to suppress for the last month.

"Well...I guess I'd better get started on cleaning the kitchen," Lois said, trying to end the uncomfortable situation they found theirselves in. Brian knew the feeling, he wanted out of that touchy subject as much as she did.

She started making her way out of Stewie's room, before turning around to say something more. "Brian...thanks. Thanks for...telling me all of this."

The canine nodded stiffly, trying to keep his composure as best he could. "No...no problem, Lois..."

The moment she left the room, Brian broke down, tears streaming down his furry face. "Dammit... DAMMIT!" He wished he didn't make that connection. _I suppose I knew it all along, subconsciously, I mean. But...it's all just hitting me now...I caused the death of the person I loved most..._

But what did that mean, exactly? He had told Stewie before that he loved him, but on what level? Was it simply as deep as family love goes, or something more? _Is it possible...that I'm IN love with Stewie?! No. No, that's...well...there's nothing I can do about that. Even if I was, it's a little too late for anything to come of it._

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Why this grief was so much harder for him than for anyone else. Sure, everyone else mourned Stewie, but they managed to accept the fact that he was gone and continue on with their lives. But this depression...this emptiness that he felt from Stewie's absence was nearly all-consuming. The one thing that stopped him from descending into it completely was the fact that it wasn't what Stewie had wanted. He had _died_ for him, which was the most that anybody had ver done for him, _ever._

Brian buried his face in his furry arms, trying his best to shut himself away during his crying fit. Reliving all of the adventures he had with Stewie rekindled the empty space in his heart that couldn't be filled. Of course, the infant came to see him every couple weeks, but that wasn't nearly enough. All he wanted was for Stewie to come back to him, and stay permanently.

"Brian?"

The canine perked his head up instantly, recognizing the voice that belonged to the one he was longing for. His heart ached with joy as he saw the familiar burst of light, indicating that Stewie was indeed coming to visit him.

"STEWIE?!" Brian exclaimed, the mere sight of him alleviating some of his depression. "Oh my god...you're here...you're here..."

"Yeah, buddy. I'm here, you weren't expecting a visit from me so soon, I know. Calm down, though. We don't want Lois to know you're seeing dead people, do we?"

Brian cocked his head to the side. "Why not? She misses you like hell, she'd love to know you're coming here for visits."

Stewie sighed. "A, I despise that bitch with my entire being. B, I want you all to myself whenever I come down here. But most importantly, C..." he paused, clearly eager to reveal his good news. "There may not _be_ any future visits. I may have found a way to prevent my death."

The dog's mouth fell open, unable to process the information he just heard. "You...you can...come back? For reals?"

Stewie nodded anxiously. "Yes, yes, for reals, but you'll have to listen to me. It's very important, otherwise we may miss our chance to change history."

Trying his best to contain the immeasurable joy welling up within him, Brian kept quiet as to allow Stewie to explain what they would have to do.

"Remember that last adventure we had together? You know, the time when we visited early Jamestown?"

Brian rolled his eyes. "How could I forget? You decided to give guns to the Native Americans, and we almost died because—" He stopped when he saw the penetrating death stare Stewie was giving him.

"Yes, and it was because of that little predicament that I am now stuck like this. But remember what I said afterwards? That I traveled into the future to buy Christmas products _before_ they came out?"

The dog's eyes widened, slowly grasping what Stewie was driving at.

"We may not have the return pad OR the time machine, but we can still warn my past self of my oncoming demise. It's tricky, however..." The infant paused, contemplating any possible flaws in his plan. "Obviously, there's a chance that my past self won't believe a word you say. We'll have to prove to him that we're telling the truth. Take him to see my grave, if it becomes necessary."

Brian cocked his head to the side. "What about you? Can't you just...show yourself to him and he'll buy it?"

He sighed. "Listen, Bry. I'm only here for a week. If he doesn't show up during that time, I'll be counting on you to warn him in my absence. To be honest...I can't remember what date that toy came out, so I'm not entirely sure _what_ time period I traveled to. Which is why I'll need you to go on my laptop and find out when it's released."

Brian knew where Stewie's computer was. It was stored in the closet, along with his other belongings. Plugging it into the wall, the screen lit up with an electric buzz.

"Alright, just tell me what it was that you bought, and I'll type it in."

"It's right here, actually," Stewie replied, mothioning inside the closet. Brian moved his other belongings aside and unveiled what Stewie was pointing to.

"A Jolly Farm playset?" he asked incredulously. "You _still_ watch that show?"

Stewie rolled his eyes, unamused. "Trust me, you'll be a lot more grateful towards Jolly Farm once I undo my demise. Type it in, Brian. I just hope it's not too late..."

That thought hadn't occured to Brian. What if it _was_ too late? He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. _No. Don't think like that. If that ends up being the case...we'll cross that bridge when we come to it._

He typed it into the Google Chrome page, yielding thousands of different results instantly. Brian clicked on the first one that showed up, revealing the date the toy was going to be released. _December 21_ _st_ _, 2013._ Looking at the current date in the bottom right corner of the screen, Brian held his breath as he saw the numbers. _December 19_ _th_ _, 2013._

Both he and Stewie exhaled huge sighs of relief upon seeing the current date. _Thank god...we've still got time... Two days..._

Brian looked down at Stewie, a curious look on his face. "Well, seeing as how we have 48 hours to kill...what now?"

Stewie shook his head. "Technically, it's less than that. We need to get to the mall as soon as it opens, so we can't waste a second of December 21st." He looked at Brian expectantly.

"I'm on it," the canine replied, looking up the Quahog Mall's hours. "10 AM," he said, writing it down on one of the pages of his notebook. "December 21st... okay. So, we should leave here around 8:30 or so, just to make sure we don't miss him."

"Right," Stewie nodded, looking at the current time. "Wow, it's nearly nightfall. And we've got a whole day ahead of ourselves..." he paused, considering the options. "Let's go to the park tomorrow. I've got some old memories there that I'd love to dig up."

* * *

Upon reaching the park, Brian made sure to have his phone with him. Obviously, he wanted to spend every minute possible with Stewie, but the baby didn't want anyone to know who Brian was talking to. So they came up with the idea of appearing to be calling someone on the phone, while in reality, having a conversation with his dead friend. He didn't understand why Stewie felt inclined to hide the truth, as the canine didn't care what people would think of him seemingly talking to himself.

After finding a comfortable bench underneath a tree's shade to sit down, Brian couldn't suppress the intense joy he was feeling any longer. He grasped at Stewie's hand, getting as close as possible to his transparent body.

"Hey, Bry. Remember that time when I made plans for the two of us to live here? Right underneath the slide," he continued, pointing toward the nearby playground.

Brian smiled at the memory. "Yeah. Even though you _did_ kidnap me, the reason why was really sweet of you."

A while ago, Stewie had tied Brian to the slide, in an attempt to stop him from donating his kidneys to Peter. While at the time, the dog was mainly grossed out from the snot covering Stewie's sobbing face, he looked back on that scene with a newfound warmth in his heart. The feeling only grew upon remembering precisely what Stewie had said to him back then.

"Back then...you said you loved me."

If the infant's soul wasn't so transparent, Brian knew he would've been blushing. He snapped upright to look the dog straight in they eye, thoughts moving faster than he could comprehend.

"Well...yes. I also said that in the bank vault, on my first visit as a ghost, and—" He paused, shuddering at the memory that just entered his mind. "In...in the hospital. I would never have said those words if I hadn't meant them. I love you."

Brian rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Well...it's just that..." He sighed. This wasn't going to be easy to discuss. "Is it just in a platonic way? Or is it...something more?"

Stewie's indignant expression was evident, even halfway through Brian's question. "What?! Why would you even ask that? You know full well what I meant by that! I thought you knew—" He turned away, covering his face with his hands. "I...I said before... I thought you knew... It was so obvious, wasn't it?"

Brian flinched. He wasn't expecting that extreme of a reaction from Stewie. He thought back to when the baby first said those words to him. _Was there something he said that I missed?_

" _I love you. I mean, not in a 'Hey, let's have an underpants party,' or whatever grown-ups do when they're in love. But I mean, I love you as one loves another person whom one simply cannot do without."_

 _Stewie himself had said it. It's platonic, plain as day. How could I have forgotten? For a while...I just assumed... Of course. He's a baby, he's too young to even_ know _what it means to be in love. How could I even think for a minute that he'd ever..._

He sighed closing his eyes. "I'm sorry, Stewie. I should've remembered. You said it yourself, you love me as someone you can't do without. I'm sorry for ever thinking that—"

"Brian?"

He opened his eyes, seeing that Stewie was standing right in front of him. "...What is it?" Brian asked, his voice trembling a little. Already, he could feel his heart ache with fearful anticipation at what Stewie would say next.

"Perhaps...I didn't make it obvious enough."

Without warning, Stewie moved in toward Brian, trying to be as close to him within the physical limits that seperated them. The dog shivered, remembering the bitter cold sensation he felt when they last hugged. But the growing warmth in his heart fought against the supernatural iciness.

 _Wait...is it possible? No...it can't be...can it?_ Those thoughts didn't stop that hopeful feeling from rising in his chest.

The feeling that only grew as Stewie kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Brian's eyes widened, that hopeful _warmth_ pulsing from the spot where the contact had occured and spreading throughout every vein in his body. His nearly shattered heart snapped right back into place, and began beating stronger than ever.

"If jumping in front of a car and dying for you wasn't obvious enough, then _that_ should have cleared things up." He smirked, but in a warm, welcoming way rather than his usual cold sneer.

Brian was speechless. All he could think about was what just happened seconds ago; replaying over and over again in his head. _He...he reciprocates... I don't believe it..._

"But...in the bank vault... You said—"

Stewie looked down at the ground, avoiding Brian's gaze. "I...I didn't quite realize my feelings for you at that time. Ever since then, I thought it was just a strong case of platonic love. To tell you the truth...I didn't recognize them until that moment just before the car hit. Which was when I realized that..."

"...There had to be something more..." Brian finished, catching Stewie's attention and making eye contact with him once again.

"Indeed..." he paused, hesitant to continue speaking.

"Is there something wrong, Stewie?" the dog asked, concerned.

Stewie shook his head. _No...I can't bring myself to tell him now. I'll wait...I'll tell him right before we meet my future self. I want this feeling to last...at least a little while longer._

"It's nothing, Brian," he replied, smiling weakly and grasping for his paw. "I'm...I'm fine."

* * *

When the canine finally got home from his day spent with Stewie, nobody questioned why he was out so late. After all, this was normal Brian behavior, messing around at night nailing random chicks from the bar. In fact, they barely seemed to notice him at all, or the fact that he held the door open slightly longer for Stewie to get in as well. The two walked up the stairs to the infant's room, Brian performing the same guesture of holding the door open for the pint-sized male.

"You know, you really don't have to do that," Stewie reminded him, guesturing to the entirety of his transparent body. "I'm a _ghost,_ closed doors aren't exactly an obstacle for me."

Brian shrugged. "Well, it's the least I can do for someone who I really care about."

"Hey, I appreciate the thought behind it, but let's be honest. You _forgot_ , didn't you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. "Well...with you _being_ here, and _talking_ to me, it's kinda hard to remember that you're..."

"Dead? Yeah...but hopefully, that won't be the case much longer." He looked down briefly, that same bleak expression he bore before they left the park appearing for a split second.

Brian noticed it, but didn't try to press the issue. _He'll tell me what's on his mind when he's good and ready. The least I can do right now is try and make him forget about what's bothering him._

"You know what? How'd you like to watch a bit of Jolly Farm on your laptop before bed?"

His face instantly brightened. "Thanks Bri—wait..." He turned, looking slightly confused. "I thought you hated that show. Why the sudden change?"

Brian smiled. "Well, considering how it's gonna end up saving your life..." He pulled out Stewie's computer and went to a website where they could watch some episodes. "...I figured I might as well give it a chance."

Now seeing that the dog was being genuine, Stewie dropped his feelings of suspicion. "I can tell you're trying to make me feel better, Bry. Thank you. But afterward..." he continued, his face turning serious. "I'll need to think about the best approach we can take tomorrow. I'm dead, so I don't need to sleep. And as such, I'd best use the next few hours to strategize how we can go about...breaking the news to my past self."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Worry about that stuff when we're done watching. For now, let's just enjoy ourselves."

Stewie nodded, snuggling over to Brian as he began playing the first episode. "I'd like that."

 _Those anxious thoughts and preparations can wait. Bry's right. I have to enjoy this...while it lasts..._

* * *

 **Holy crap, has it been a while. Well, after a painfully long hiatus, it's finally back. Honestly, I never expected this silly idea of mine to mean so much to all of you, and it really was your faithful dedication to this story that motivated me to get back into writing it. (That, and I finally came out of writer's block. So, there's that. :P)**

 **There's only one more chapter after this, and you won't have to wait anymore. It'll be up sometime in the next four weeks, I PROMISE.**

 **Thanks so much for all your patience. It will be rewarded soon enough!**

 **Also, TimeLordMaster108? I get that you really want this story to get updated, and it really means a lot that you enjoy it so much. But please stop spamming my inbox with favs. Really, I appreciate your love for the fanfic, but the spam needs to stop.**


	4. Update: Reasons for delay

**Okay, I know that you all have been expecting an update from me, and I'm sorry that it's not the one you want. (Note to self: never make promises about deadlines to ANYONE. You'll most likely end up breaking it.) So, that whole "I promise it'll be done by next month" crap? Well, there is no proper deadline. I've been putting it off for a while, honestly.**

 **I guess I have some explaining to do. I could make up excuses, or just say that I've been super busy. But we all know that's bullshit.**

 **Don't get me wrong, I'm touched by how much you guys are loving this story, and I'm sorry that I'm taking so long. The honest-to-god truth of why this is taking so long is just that...I'm just not into Family Guy anymore.**

 **I was obsessed with it for a few months, but after getting introduced to South Park, it just got replaced for me. And while I'd love nothing more than to get this story done and over with as soon as I can, I know that it wouldn't be fair to you. I don't want to have to push myself to write more of this story when there's other things I'd rather be writing/doing.**

 **Now, I will say this. No matter what, this story will be finished. I don't want this to end up like everything else I've bailed out on halfway through. I just can't guarantee** ** _when._** **And I hope you all can understand that. I'm sorry about the long wait, and about the false promises, and about everything, really. But it's really hard for me to write about characters that I just don't feel connected to anymore.**

 **I'll work on it when I have the time, and heart, to push through this last chapter. You guys are my sole source of motivation when it comes to working on this story, and I couldn't have gotten this far without you. I'll try my best not to let you down.**

 **~Cybrawler253**

 **P.S. I'll probably delete this once the last chapter gets posted. Just so it doesn't clog the word count with unnecessary filler. So...there's that. Bye-bye.**


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